NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, it is not seeking confrontation with Russia and does not want another Cold War. He said, the planned deployment of 4,000 extra troops to eastern Europe aims to prevent, not provoke conflict. Adding that despite current tensions, the military alliance does not see Russia as a threat.<br/><br/>The US and European Union had imposed sanctions on Russia following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. The war in Syria has also been a flashpoint for tensions, with key Western powers accusing Russia of war crimes in its bombardment of opposition-held areas in support of the Syrian government.